Courses
Artificial Intelligence in Games
Understand the differences between traditional AI and AI applied to game development, where other factors such as playability are more relevant that the oponent’s intelligence level. Be familiar with the practical problems when developing AI for video games, and with the several techniques applied in comercial video games. Know how to design and build an AI system for a video game independently of its genre (action, sport, strategy, narrative).
Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems
To acquire general notions about agents and multi-agent systems; knowing how to identify and classify agents and environments, according to different properties. Knowing how to develop complex systems and systems from different application areas, using an agent-oriented methodology. Knowing how to define a society of agents in order to solve a specific problem. Being able to design agents with reactive, deliberative and hybrid architectures. Being able to create societies of agents that communicate, in a practical way, using suitable languages and platforms.
Computer Graphics for Games
This course covers both theory and practice of game engine software development. It delves into the different engine subsystems including, but not limited to, rendering, character animation, and physics, and details the articulation required to support gameplay development. By the end of this course, students should understand how modern game engines work, and be able to design and develop their own game engines.
Game Design
This course grants the students the opportunity to develop their skills on experience design and prototyping for games. The learning process is sustained in the discussion of what is a game, what are its components and what is its relation to the players (having in mind their differences). It is expected that the student develop design documents and prototypes to support his/her work on the course.
Game Development Methodology
Present a vision of the different methodologies and technologies involved in the development of digital games discussing the main features and issues in each one. Grant students with conceptual tools and techniques to develop user interfaces for games with special emphasis on player controls. Develop the ability to reflect and test the player experience and gameplay. Discuss the role of conceptual modelling and user testing. Highlight the importance to take a user centred approach in the exploration of the player experience.
Multimedia Content Production
Know the different types of multimédia information and how to manipulate them to poduce multimedia content. To understand the technological constraints that affect Production. To understand critical factors affect the success of a production, namely in aspects such as capture, encoding, processing and visualization of the different media. To know the different kinds of available authoring tools. To create Multimedia contents; To identify the different contexts in which multimedia can be consumed, with emphasys on online and network issues (evaluate bandwidth, latency, synchronization, etc.) and mobile devices. Introduce some advanged multimedia usages such as procedural modelling, generative art augmented reality. Apply efficient methods of multimedia content retrieval.
Thesis
EcoLogic: Educational Digital Game for Teaching Domestic Ecology
The world and its environment are suffering tremendous changes which result in a large impact on the current societie's way of life. Future generations, which will suffer the consequences of these changes, should be taught about what they can do to help prevent further disaster. Computers and games conquered their space in many homes and kids spend hours playing computer games. This work proposes a model for creating a computer game to teach children ecological behavior. This model is based on learning theories and educational game development best practices. To do this we discuss the learning process, educational games, and digital educational game design and look through several educational games. This study resulted in a group of guidelines to develop digital educational games for children. From applying these guidelines and gathering them with research on what ecological subjects should be taught and how, resulted a conceptual model of an educational game for teaching children about ecological behaviors. Furthermore, we created EcoLogic, a game that applies the conceptual model, and a framework for developing this sort of games. Conclusions show that most of the educational games could be improved by following the guidelines presented in this work and that these are a good starting tool for creating educational games and allow creating a vast sort of educational games. Moreover, they show that the model is easy to be followed, presents a clear view of the game and is adapted to the educational purpose.
Treme-treme - A serious game to teach children earthquake preparedness
Earthquakes are known as one of the most dangerous natural hazards due to their unpredictability, and because it is not possible to know when a major seismic activity will occur, it is highly recommended to be prepared. Due to the growing interest in Serious games unique characteristics to teach and train individuals, there was an opportunity of using Serious games to better prepare and inform people about earthquakes. This work describes a Serious game that was developed to teach elementary school children about common practices and procedures to take before, during and after an earthquake as well as warn them about the risks and promote discussion among the students and diffuse this knowledge to their families. To achieve this, we investigated the characteristics of Serious Games and studied games with similar purposes in order to create a game able to entertain while teaching pedagogical content. Through the results obtained from the tests conducted we can conclude that our game was able to successfully achieve it’s purpose, being able to rise awareness about earthquake preparedness in schools.